OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of non-contact coculture on bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) and neural stem cells (NSCs) in neural stem cell culture medium.

METHODSMSCs and NSCs were cultured in non-contact coculture in Transwell plate, and cell morphology and immunocytochemical profile were investigated.

RESULTSIn the coculture, the NSCs showed adhering growth and extended long processes, and the migrating cells formed a network of cells within 7 days. The cells differentiated into neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes as shown by immunocytochemistry. Most of the MSCs grew in a non-adherent manner, giving rise to large spherical cell masses which expressed neuronal, astrocyte, and oligodendrocyte phenotypes. In the control group, the NSCs grew in suspension, some of MSCs formed small non-adherent spherical cell masses, while some cells showed adherent growth.

CONCLUSIONMSCs and NSCs in the non-contact coculture can mutually promote the cell differentiation into neural cells in neural stem cell culture medium, indicating that both MSCs and NSCs can secrete some neurotrophic factors to provide a microenvironment suitable for survival and differentiation for each other.